Agency orders wage hikes at NY airports, not NJ

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Low-paid workers at Newark Liberty Airport are not in line for the same wage hikes that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has ordered for employees at two New York City airports.

The different treatment reflects a split on the Port Authority, a bistate agency whose members are appointed by the New York and New Jersey governors.

The top New Jersey executive at the agency, Deputy Executive Director Deborah Gramiccioni, says she was not told in advance about the directive late Tuesday by Executive Director Patrick Foye. He ordered four airlines to mandate that all of their subcontractors’ employees making less than $9 an hour get $1 raises.

Gramiccioni says she supports “reasonable wage adjustments” only if they are negotiated. She also says there could be legal concerns with the directive.